GET TO KNOW A HOME STUDIO THAT CRAFTS CERAMICS WITH ‘LAMUNLAMAI’ (DELICACY), OFFERING MEANINGFUL MEALTIMES THROUGH BEAUTIFUL UTENSILS WHILE BEING MINDFUL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

TEXT & PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMUNLAMAI. CRAFTSTUDIO EXCEPT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

WHO

LAMUNLAMAI. CRAFTSTUDIO founded by Mai (Nopkamon Akarapongpaisan) and Nam (Nol Netprom)

WHAT

Craft Studio * Circular Ceramics * Custom Made

‘Crafting a sustainable future through purposeful design and innovative craftsmanship.’

Through a purpose-driven design studio, LAMUNLAMAI. CRAFTSTUDIO is on a mission to make your mealtimes more meaningful through conscious consuming craft. These are details to be embraced, and the longer you have your LMLM pieces, the more they become a legacy that intertwines craftsmanship, design, and cultural values that are part of your home.

WHEN

Since 2014 – now and go on

WHERE

We’re based in Bangkok and London. And we aim to expand our projects around the world!

WHY

Why not? LAMUNLAMAI. makes mealtimes more meaningful through conscious consuming craft.

While countless pieces of ceramics are made by hand and brought to markets in many places around the world, they still have some unsolved problems. Even if the studios have produced ceramics crafted from natural resources, it is undeniable that these processes consume substantial resources, labour, and energy. We are interested in experimenting with materials, processes, and perceptions that positively impact both the environment and society to encourage these craft practices to be more sustainable and long lasting.

How would you describe your work?

vivid / timeless / purposeful design / respectful toward the nature of materials

What is your inspiration and guiding principle for each creation?

We want to convey the value of craftsmanship through our products and services to people. We aspire to have customers and individuals alike cherish our work as much as we do, and we aim for them to benefit from our creations in the most meaningful and enduring manner possible. Our inspiration stems from various sources around us, including the challenges we come across, which spark questions and curiosity and lead us to explore new possibilities using ceramic materials.

Our studio focuses on collaborative design work with customers via two-way communication. We create opportunities for dialogue by offering customized collaboration projects, enabling us to understand and address our customers’ needs most effectively. We tailor our approach to each project based on our collaborators and the intended purpose of the work we will be creating. Once we’ve identified shared goals and requirements, the design and production processes seamlessly follow suit. Along the journey, we delve into exploration, experimentation, and the wonders of clay materials and handmade objects, alongside both our team and customers.

What project are you most proud of?

We take pride in every project we’ve undertaken and extend our gratitude to every customer and supporter who has contributed to our journey as LAMUNLAMAI. Along the way, we’ve learned valuable lessons from our mistakes, with each experience shaping us in meaningful ways. We couldn’t have learned these lessons if we hadn’t taken the initiative to seek answers ourselves.

But one of our most recent projects would have to be ‘The Lifetime’ (2023), a thesis project that Nol created for his MA Designer Maker course at the University of the Arts, London. This project began with questions raised even before Nol embarked on his studies and has since evolved into new practices that push the boundaries of ceramic materials. The collection presents an approach to creating circular ceramics, utilizing food waste such as shell remnants collected in a single day from Borough Market. These materials, combined in precise proportions with clay, birth works that communicate the issue of food waste, offering a sustainable solution that can be reintegrated into the dining experience.

Which stage of the design process do you like the most?

Think-Create-Sell

Each step is crucial and interconnected. For us, it depends on the project and the context in which it exists. I (Mai) enjoy the process of developing an overall understanding of the project first and then connecting the dots to integrate each part. On the other hand, Nol enjoys the hands-on production stage the most. This stage offers plenty of opportunities for us to continuously experiment with new ideas. There are times when we discover interesting things through experimentation, beyond what we could have imagined or expected.

Regarding collaboration projects, we particularly enjoy the initial meetings with restaurant clients, whether they are owners, F&B managers, or chefs. At this stage, it feels like we have the privilege to sit and listen to their personal stories. They share their dreams, passions, and detailed requirements with us. We are honored to engage in dialogue, witness how people in other industries work, and exchange valuable perspectives we might not have encountered otherwise. All of these experiences greatly enrich our creative process.

If you could invite a ‘creative’ to coffee, who would you invite and why?

Piriya Kulganchanacheewin and the Glow Story team

Sirima Chaipreechawit, Chrissie Langkulsen, and the Ground Control team

Supattharachai Chuetamasorn

Everyone has their own unique expertise and is an inherently kind, naturally genuine human being. We adore and admire them. They’re like our role models, who inspire us both in the way we work and live.

Every time we talk to them, there are always some new updates that give us great energy, adding fuel and motivation for our creativity and encouraging us to do things that extend beyond our own story to other people and society at large. These amazing individuals have a special ability to make us feel supported. Their insights have influenced a number of decisions we’ve made in our lives. They are similar to our thought partners and respected elders. At the same time, we feel at ease opening up and sharing deep and profound thoughts with them.

Let’s make time to meet for coffee, shall we, guys? Haha! 😀

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